The Things We Do

by

Angela McCluskey

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Angela McCluskey's debut album is nothing short of sheer brillance. I became a fan quite by accident awhile back while I was watching the movie "Unhook The Stars" and heard her band, The Wild Colonials, playing in the background. Needless to say from the first moment I heard her voice, I was hooked. It was serendipity...a fortunate accident.

Her voice is complete poetry. It draws you into every word and keeps you hanging on a thread for more. There is so much edge to it...the way it can be soft and surreal one moment and the next, bitter and raw.

While all the songs on this stunning debut are simply amazing, the songs that stand out in particular are: 'It's Been Done', 'Perfect Girl Eleven', and 'Dirty Pearl'. These songs showcase Angela's unique sound and ability to sing just about any genre there is.

Anyone who appreciates fine music is sure to find Angela's debut album a compelling piece of work...it hasn't left my CD player's rotation since I bought it. This CD is a must have!

(Aside from this CD, I highly recommend all 3 of The Wild Colonials CD's, as well as Tryptich's 'Curio' (which highly showcases Angela's raw blues voice).

If Angela McCluskey's voice sounds slightly familiar, it may be because, for the last several years, she has served as the lead singer of the beneath-the-radar band, The Wild Colonials. More likely, however, it's because she possesses the kind of voice that contains so much character, you feel like you should know it. Despite shades of Marianne Faithfull, Stevie Nicks, Cyndi Lauper,Julie Driscoll, Natalie Merchant, even a bit of Van Morrison, McCluskey's voice is distinctive and unique. Her timeless vocals are placed amidst modern sounding arrangements. The production touches by Nathan Larson evident in the opening cut, `It's Been Done', draw the listener in and then that voice nails him/her there. There is more than a tinge of what was once known as "trip-hop"-the combo of dreamy vocals, electronic sounds, and slow, rhythmic beats-with bits of folk, reggae, jazz, and blue-eyed soul. There are a handful of immediately memorable songs, another handful that are still growing on us (and a couple which probably will not). McCluskey's vocals, however, are so compelling-there's a wonderful catch in her voice which tweaks the emotional impact of everything she sings-that the material frequently becomes secondary and the album, a thoroughly engaging experience.